The splitting of logs for fireplace utilization and the like long has been considered a highly physically taxing enterprise. Attempts to minimize this labor intensive effort have led to a broad variety of devices. Such devices usually utilize some form of hydraulic actuation to carry out the splitting procedure, inasmuch as considerable force applied over a relatively short drive length is required. Application of the force generally has followed either of two arrangements, the first providing for the driving of either a blade or a wedge through the log being split and the second providing for the driving of the log into a stationary blade or a wedge. The former approach, typified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,640,323 or 3,508,221 evidences impracticalities inasmuch as the splitting mechanism must be capable of being driven entirely through the log while the log remains securely restrained against movement. Where cross-grained and/or knotted logs are encountered, such restraint is most difficult to provide. Further, when such difficult splitting is encountered, a clearing of the splitting device by reverse movement or the like from the log may be a difficult procedure.
The second arrangement, wherein the log is urged by a hydraulic ram or the like into either a knife or wedge arrangement, provides an advantageous "self clearing" feature. This feature obtains inasmuch as the movement of a succession of logs through the splitting station tends to push debris or unsplit log portions past the splitting knives. As examples of the latter arrangement, reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,974,867; 3,077,214; and 3,242,955.
In consequence of the significant weight factor involved in the movement and manipulation of logs, it is desirable that the cutting and splitting arrangement, i.e., the apparatus for preparing logs, be reasonably compact and readily moveable to the site of a fell. Accordingly, the common practice is to mount the systems upon vehicle drawn trailers or the like, as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,995,672; 3,077,214; 3,640,323; 3,356,115; and 3,242,955.
As noted above, the procedure for the cutting and splitting of logs suited for common fireplace usage involves the exertion of considerable effort, exhaustion of the operators following four or five hours of effort in the field not being an uncommon observation. This physical effort entails a repeated bending over and lifting of logs for cutting and splitting. With several devices heretofore proposed, more than one pass is required to split a single log into an adequate number of segments. This procedure requires manual lifting and replacement.
Probably, to minimize the amount of power required in log splitting, certain of the arrangements, particularly those utilizing similtaneous multi-log segment splitting configurations, operate with the noted knife structures as opposed to wedge structures. The utilization of knives, however, leads to difficulties in maintaining the proper axial alignment of a log being urged into the knives, the knives being more prone than wedge configurations to cause off-center splitting. The utilization of wedges within a splitting station, however, heretofore has been observed to promote binding between split segments and the apparatus itself during the splitting prodcedure. A particular difficulty encountered in utilization of wedge structures for multiple, i.e. four-way splitting systems resides in the tendency of the splitting segments to move transversely outwardly, causing both misalignment of the split as well as a failure to properly engage transversely or horizontally oriented wedge components. In consequence, simultaneous multiple splitting of segments of a log has not found particular favor in the industry.
Maintaining proper alignment of the logs within the splitting apparatus is burdensome, often requiring additional, physical expenditure on the part of labor. Binding difficulties are often encountered during the splitting process to the extent that knife or wedge containing splitting stations heretofore have been positioned as to provide for the immediate dropping or passage of split log segments freely to the ground level. This, of course, requires that the operator subsequently bend fully to the ground to pick up the segments for placement in trucks and the like. Each maneuver added to the log preparation procedure may be observed to restrict ultimate productivity, worker exhaustion relatively early in a given working day the consequence of necessary steps of lifting, moving, stabilizing and stacking from ground level. It follows that minimization of required operator steps will advantageously improve field productivity.